Eight level crossings to be removed in Melbourne’s north

Another eight level crossings will be removed in Melbourne’s inner north along the Upfield train line, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has announced.

Crossings at Albert Street, Albion Street, Brunswick Road, Dawson Street, Hope Street, Victoria Street and Union Street in Brunswick and at Park Street in Parkville would all be removed by 2027 in favour of elevated rail bridges, the premier said.

Jewel, Anstey and Brunswick stations will be rebuilt to accommodate the sky rail, as has been the case further up the line at Moreland and Coburg stations. When complete, there will be no level crossings left between Parkville and Coburg.

The train line runs through the marginal seat of Brunswick, held by Greens MP Tim Read by a razor-thin 0.57 per cent, which was extended to a notional 2.3 per cent after electoral boundaries were redistributed.

Labor has not given up on the prospect of regaining the seat, but Brunswick is not among key seats it will target at the November election.

Andrews did not reveal the cost of the Upfield announcement, instead saying the updated cost of the long-running level crossing removal project would be “reflected in the pre-election budget update”.

“It’s a government announcement, but we all know who removes level crossings. It’s not the other side,” he said.

The premier said the announcement also aimed to keep an “elite team of workers” who had skilled up over the past few years removing level crossings in employment.

“We don’t want them to run out of work. We want to keep pushing forward, keep getting rid of these level crossings and there are more to do,” he said.

Transport Minister Jacinta Allan said making Brunswick “boom-gate free” would also deliver “a fully separated walking and cycling connection into the Melbourne CBD”.

Read, the local member for Brunswick, said better consultation was needed to create green open space and separated paths for cyclists and pedestrians.

“Delivery by 2027 suggests that trains will not be running more frequently until then,” Read said. “The government now needs to tell us when they will duplicate the northern section of the Upfield [line] to allow more frequent trains, or whether they have other plans for that end of the line.”

Shadow treasurer David Davis on Monday said the Coalition supported level crossing removals, but that some could be rescheduled to prioritise the Glen Waverley line.

“We will be completing level crossing removals that are listed, we may do them in a slightly different sequence,” Davis said.

Community consultation with Brunswick and Parkville residents and further project design will start in the new year.

There have already been 66 level crossings removed across the state. The government plans to remove a total of 85 by 2025.

According to government figures, about 71,000 vehicles travel through the level crossings during the morning peak on weekdays and boom gates are down for up to 30 minutes.

Mark Riley, the mayor of Moreland City Council, welcomed the announcement to boost pedestrian safety and accessibility, alleviate traffic, and promote sustainable transport options.

“However, we need the Victorian government to urgently deliver other transport infrastructure to meet the needs of our growing community,” Riley said.

“Population growth in the northern corridor is putting significant pressure on the Upfield line – duplicating and upgrading the Upfield rail corridor would help provide a safe and efficient public transport network for our community in the north.”

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